Chapter 20 – A Night At The Savoy

Esme decided to take Nelle's advice and attend Slade's gig at the Savoy. Upon arriving, she asked if Curtis was there, and was relieved to hear that he wasn't as he had a physical therapy session earlier in the day. This made her feel better about being there. She was asked to show ID and was relieved they didn't kick her out. She wondered if Curtis would've made her leave if he were there. The bartender, N'neka, even smiled at her when she sat down, which made Esme feel weird, as three years earlier, when Esme was 20, N'neka had been the one who alerted Curtis that Esme had tried to purchase an alcoholic beverage with a fake ID, and she wouldn't have been surprised if N'neka hated her for what she did to Trina. But Esme reminded herself that N'neka most likely was just doing her job, and since Esme wasn't there to cause trouble, N'neka had no reason to kick her out.

Slade's band consisted of six members; a lead singer, two guitarists, a keyboardist, a drummer, and of course Slade on bass. The lead singer was a woman named Litzy, older than Esme but still quite young. Slade was wearing a black, tight-fitting tank top. He had a somewhat muscular build, but not to the point where veins were popping out of his arms. She actually thought he was quite attractive, but she nonetheless could tell that he was out of his element. She could tell that he wasn't a fan of the music they were performing, which were hard rock covers of various pop songs, and she had a feeling that he didn't particularly like the venue. After all, he had mentioned to her the previous evening that the Savoy wasn't a place he'd go to if he didn't have a gig there.

The band played three, 45-minute sets, and were coming to the end of the final one.

Litzy: Wow, this has sure been a fun night! Are you all having a good time?

*The audience cheers*

Litzy: We still have enough time for one more song, but unfortunately my voice is getting a little tired. I know Mr. Slade here has something he'd like to sing, don't you Slade?

*Slade looks embarrassed*

Litzyr: Aw, come on! Maybe with some encouragement from you guys, we can get him to sing. Do you guys wanna hear him sing?

*The audience cheers; Slade looks even more embarrassed*

Litzy: Come on now. Everybody give him a little encouragement! Slade! Slade! Slade! Slade!

Audience: Slade! Slade! Slade! Slade!

*They keep calling 'Slade!' at increasing speed. Slade finally hands his bass guitar to Litzy and makes his way to the front of the stage, while Litzy stands where Slade had been.*

Slade: Well, she did warn me this was going to happen, so I did have a song I was rehearsing in preparation. This song is by Leonard Cohen, and no it's not the one you probably were thinking of when you heard the name just now. This song is called "First We Take Manhattan!"

*Esme isn't familiar with any of Leonard Cohen's songs except for "Hallelujah", but likes what she's hearing. Slade's voice is very deep and smooth. Esme can't help but notice the angry expression on his face during one verse, and his tone of voice when he sang it, which, while still quite smooth, had a bit of a growl.*

Lyrics:

I don't like your fashion business, mister

I don't like these drugs that keep you thin

I don't like what happened to my sister

First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin!

*The song comes to an end and the audience applauds. Slade dries off the sweat on his face with a towel, then makes his way over to the bar*

N'neka: You guys sounded awesome!

Slade: Thanks!

N'neka: What can I get you to drink?

Slade: What's the least mainstream drink you have?

N'neka: I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean by mainstream.

Slade: Whichever one you can't find anywhere else.

N'neka: Ah, well, we've got our signature cocktails. We've got Between The Sheets, Blue Lagoon…

Slade: Alright, I'll have a Blue-

Esme: Between The Sheets please, and I'll have one as well. Put both on my tab. *She winks at Slade*

*N'enka serves them their drinks. Slade takes a sip.*

Esme: Too mainstream for you?

Slade: Oh yeah, very, VERY mainstream!

*He exchanges awkward glances with Esme and N'enka*

Slade: It's good though, I like it!

*The three of them laugh. Slade turns to Esme.*

Slade: You actually showed up! I was worried maybe you wouldn't.

Esme: I was worried maybe you wouldn't message me with your number.

Slade: Just promise me you won't make me regret giving it to you.

Esme: I promise you won't regret anything.

*They clink their glasses and take another sip of their drinks.*

Slade: So what happened last night at the Highsider?

Esme: I'm surprised you didn't stick around for the…what was your name for the thing that the Highsider is known for?

Slade: Doesn't matter now. I'm not going back there again. After Haggerty died I began coming there again whenever I'm in town, but I don't think the guy they've got now likes me very much. Last night was the first time he's ever made me leave, and once he did, I knew I had overstayed my welcome.

Esme: He made both of us leave though, and he was doing it because he didn't want us to get hurt, or worse. Which reminds me, you should've made sure I got out of there safely!

Slade: In hindsight, I should've stuck around to make sure that you did. By the time I made it back to my motel room I was very out of breath and had a pounding headache.

Esme: Ugh, I know what those are like!

Slade: Yeah. That's why I didn't message you right away.

Esme: I don't blame you for that.

Slade: Did you have any trouble getting out of there?

Esme: Yes. I had to fight my way out.

Slade: No!

Esme: Yes, unfortunately.

Slade: Oh my god!

Esme: It worked out though, as it made me remember that I used to take boxing lessons. I never thought I'd have to put anything I learned to use.

Slade: Good skill to have.

Esme: I did get a little banged-up though. Someone, or something, hit me in the nose. It was bleeding pretty badly once I got home, but thankfully wasn't broken.

Slade: You certainly don't look banged up. I like your dress by the way. It suits the vibe of this place.

*Esme had on her blue floral dress which showed quite a bit of skin.*

Esme: Thanks! You're not looking too bad yourself.

Slade: I'm all sweaty.

Esme: Nothing wrong with that. It shows you've been working hard. And from what I could tell, this doesn't seem like something you especially enjoy.

Slade: I don't. I like music, but am not a fan of the music we play.

Esme: Not heavy enough for you?

Slade: No. Although I do enjoy our rendition of that Billie Eilish song, "Bad Guy". But the best part is the coda, which we don't do at venues like these. I don't think most of the people here could handle the screaming vocals. More appropriate for a place like the Highsider, but they don't host live music.

Esme: Billie doesn't scream though. Not on that song anyway.

Slade: No, but Litzy does, and trust me, she can scream!

*Hearing the word "trust" reminds her of becoming a Trusted Member of Nelle's group.*

Esme: I trust you.

Slade: Good.

Esme: So you never told me where you're from, when I asked you last night right before the fight broke out.

Slade: Well, I'm originally from a town in Pennsylvania called Pine Valley, but I currently live in a smaller town, also in Pennsylvania, called Nixon Falls. There was a bar there that I used to go to called the Tan-O. Reminded me a bit of the Highsider, albeit much nicer. Cleaner, less crowded, no fights, there of course was the occasional troublemaker but you can expect people like that at any bar. It was owned by a very nice couple. Unfortunately, the husband died, and the place burned down not long afterwards, and-

*Ian notices Esme is coughing. Hearing Ian mentioning all of this had caused her to choke on her drink.*

Slade: You okay?

Esme: *cough* Yeah. *cough* *cough* I'm fine. I'm *cough* just surprised. I visited all three of *cough* those places very *cough* very recently! We literally *cough* just got back a few days ago.

Slade: The Tan-O too?

Esme: Well, the building where *cough* the Tan-O was. The new owner fixed it up and *cough* turned it into a café, and my friend and I stopped for lunch there on our way home from *cough* Pine Valley. She knew about the Tan-O and wanted to see it, because her mom stayed in Nixon Falls for a while and was good friends with the owners, but didn't know it had burned down. The woman actually moved to Port Charles and is now the manager of Charlie's Pub. Her name is Phyllis, right?

Slade: Yeah, Phyllis Caulfield. Wow, I had no idea she lives here now. If I did I would've gone to Charlie's instead of the Highsider. Unfortunately, I don't have time to go visit her, as I have to get back to Pine Valley to take my mom to a doctor's appointment.

Esme: Wow, so Pine Valley is where your family is from?

Slade: Yeah. My brother and my aunt normally are the ones caring for my mom, but they could both use a break. The divorce took a huge toll on my mom. It was over ten years ago, but she hasn't been the same since.

Esme: Wow. I was literally just there. It was supposed to be a weekend getaway in order to attend an event for the support group I'm in, but I was hospitalized because I overdosed on those "Pensieve Pills".

Slade: Oh wow, are you alright?

Esme: I am now, but when I OD'd I hit my head and was in a coma for over a week. They were worried I wouldn't wake up.

Slade: I've heard about those pills. They're very addictive. They cause people to think they're actually re-living their memories, and people get addicted to them because of it. It's supposed to help dementia patients with their short-term memory. Was that the reason you were taking them? You mentioned that you had amnesia.

Esme: Well after I finally woke up, I was able to remember a lot of stuff I hadn't been able to remember before, but I actually was prescribed them for migraines.

Slade: I've heard they help with migraines, but they're not approved for treatment for migraines, and I doubt they ever will be. Once it wears off, you get a worse migraine, so you take another one, then you get an even worse migraine, so you need to keep taking them, and eventually find yourself having to take more pills for them to have the same effect. That's addiction for you. Been down that road myself, but I got help for it before anything happened that I wouldn't be able to recover from.

Esme: I'm glad you got help for your addiction issues. I wish I knew how addictive those pills were when Dr. Kinder prescribed them to me.

Slade: Did you say Kinder?

Esme: Yeah.

Slade: JONATHAN Kinder?!

Esme: Yeah, unfortunately.

Slade: How the hell is he still prescribing drugs?! He had his medical license revoked before I was born! My grandmother was a patient of his, and he got her hooked on drugs in order to take advantage of her! Ruined her marriage to her husband at the time. I'm not especially close with my grandmother and never met her ex-husband, but I know she loved him very much. But after what Kinder put them both through, their relationship was never the same.

Esme: Oh my god! I'm glad I'm no longer seeing him. It looks like I dodged a major bullet. So did my friend, who initially raved about him.

Slade: Yeah.

*Slade is silent for a few seconds, then yawns and stretches his arms out. Esme notices a familiar-looking line going down the center of his chest, visible through the collar of his tank top. She can't help but ask, even though she knew it was a rather personal question.*

Esme: What's that? On your chest.

Slade: When I was little I got an infection and needed to have heart surgery. Artificial heart valve. I was very weak for a good portion of my childhood, but eventually I had another surgery and am doing better now.

*Litzy walks over to them.*

Litzy: Hey Slade, are you going to be sticking around to see Blaze perform? She's an amazing singer, and I hear she's the new Face of Deception!*

Slade: Nah. I've seen enough ads for cosmetics companies to last a lifetime! I've got to get going anyway as I need to be up first thing tomorrow morning.

Litzy: Suit yourself. She's really hot though!

*Esme had been meaning to ask Slade if he wanted her to accompany him back to his motel and possibly spend the night together, but now she has a different idea. She really likes him, but perhaps he's meant for someone else.*

Esme: Um, Slade?

Slade: Yeah?

Esme: I have another friend who has decided to stay in Pine Valley for a while to learn more about her family, as she was separated from them when she was born. Would it be okay if I gave your number to her? I think you'd like her, and you probably would be able to help her out.

FIVE MINUTES LATER

*Esme excitedly runs out of the bar, takes out her phone, and dials Leora's number. The call goes to her voicemail.*

Esme (on the phone): Leann, I just met someone at a bar whom I think you might want to talk to. He's originally from Pine Valley and is coming there to take his mom to an appointment. He won't be there for long though. I think you'll like him, and he might be able to help with your family research. Call me back ASAP and I'll give you his number!

*She hangs up. Her excitement fades, and she feels sad. She missed out on what could have been a new chapter in her life, but feels she made the right decision. She then notices a familiar-looking silhouette slowly making his way to the entrance, with his head hung low.*

Esme: Spence?